Sun welcomes Snyder aboard sports team

Thursday August 29, 2013 | By:The Sun Staff | Sports

Johnathan Snyder

Avid readers of The Sun News’ sports section may know Johnathan Snyder from his exploits on the golf course and his time spent at St. Francis High School. They will get to know him even better, in the weeks and months ahead.

Snyder has been brought on to the staff of The Sun as a freelancer sports writer. Now, his name will be appearing weekly with a byline, as the Hamburg native helps cover the seven local high schools and area colleges in The Sun’s WNY coverage area.

A senior in his final semester at Buffalo State College as a communications and journalism major, Snyder has written about and covered such events as college basketball and football, the Buffalo Bisons, the Buffalo Sabres and high school and amateur athletics. He just finished covering the PGA Championship in Rochester.

The St. Francis High School graduate and honor student has amassed a padded resume in golf, as well. He won the 2008 – 2009 Monsignor Martin All-Catholic Championship and qualified for the state championships twice, before earning a scholarship to golf at Daemen College.

While at Daemen, he finished seventh in the American Mideast Conference Championship, in the spring of 2012.

His summer golf accomplishments include being a two-time Hamburg Club champion. This year, he tied for second at the Erie County Amateur Championships and won at the WNY Pub Links Tournament. He has also worked at the Wanakah Country Club since 2008, where he currently serves as pro shop assistant for head golf professional Steve Parker.

He will be writing a few stories each week for The Sun, as Sports Editor Mike Petro transitions into fully overseeing Metro Group Inc.’s sports coverage throughout Western New York.

Metro Group, The Sun’s parent company, also has papers including The Source in Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Depew, Clarence, Wheatfield, Tonawanda, Kenmore, Alden and South Buffalo; the Lockport Retailer; Springville Journal and Gowanda News.